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First class relic “ex-sanguine” (from his blood) of Saint Pope John Paul II will be available for public veneration from October 13 to 22 at the Radio Veritas Chapel in Quezon City.
Pope John Paul II was born on May 18, 1920, in Wadowice, Poland. He was ordained in 1946, became the bishop of Ombi in 1958, and became the archbishop of Krakow in 1964.
He was made a cardinal by Pope Paul VI in 1967, and in 1978 became the first non-Italian pope in more than 400 years. He was a vocal advocate for human rights and used his influence to effect political change. He was Pope for 27 years from 1978 to 2005 making him the second longest-serving pope in modern history after Pope Pius IX.
Pope John Paul II is also the most widely traveled pope in history, visiting 129 countries during his pontificate. He visited the Philippines twice—in February 1981, when he beatified the first Filipino martyr, Lorenzo Ruiz, and in January 1995, when an estimated of 4 million Filipinos attended the Mass he celebrated at the close of World Youth Day which was considered to be the largest single gathering in Christian history.
He died at the age of 84 at the Vatican on April 2, 2005, the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday. He was beatified on May 1, 2011 (Divine Mercy Sunday) in Saint Peter’s Square by Pope Benedict XVI, his immediate successor and was canonized on April 27, 2014 (again Divine Mercy Sunday), together with Pope John XXIII.
His feast day is celebrated on the anniversary of his papal inauguration on October 22. He is the patron Saint of World Youth Day and the World Meeting of Families.
Devotees of Saint Pope John Paul II may visit his relic from 8:00am to 5:00pm at the Radio Veritas Chapel located at the second floor of Veritas Tower, 162 West Avenue cor EDSA in Quezon City. For inquiries, please call Ms. Renee Jose or Mr. Rey Isabela at (02) 925-7932 to 39 local 129.
Radio Veritas 846, the number one faith-based Radio in the Philippines, is owned and operated by the Archdiocese of Manila. Established in 1969, the Ramon Magsaysay recipient Catholic radio station continues to be the leading social communications ministry for truth and new evangelization in the country today.
